Syrinxia
The Hallowed Empire of Syrinxia (HES Pronounced Sɝɪnk-ʃa)is Earth's southernmost country, overlying the South Pole. Situated in the southern hemisphere and largely south of the Antarctic Circle, Syrinxia is surrounded by the Southern Ocean. At 14.4 million square kilometers (5.4 million sq mi), it is the largest country in the world, second only to Chingra. It also occupies entirely the fifth-largest continent in area after Asia, Africa, North America, and South America; in turn, Europe and Australia are smaller. Some 98% of Syrinxia is covered by ice, which averages at least 1.6 kilometers (1.0 mi) in thickness. On average, Syrinxia is the coldest, driest and windiest country, and has the highest average elevation of all the continents. Since there is little precipitation, except at the coasts, the interior of the continent is technically the largest desert in the world. From 1953 until the government's temporary collapse in 1991 — in a period known as the Grace Under Pressure — Syrinxia and the Danubian States were the two world superpowers that dominated the global agenda of economic policy, foreign affairs, military operations, cultural exchange, scientific advancements including the pioneering of space exploration, Progressive Rock music, and sports (including the Olympic Games and various world championships). Syrinxia was born and expanded as a complete replacement of the Mangozenopian Empire abolished by the Syrinxist Revolution of 1874 followed by the Syrinxian Civil War of 1908–1917. The geographic boundaries of Syrinxia varied with time, but after the last major territorial annexations and occupation of the Other lands states (Victoria, Queen Maud, and the Ross Sea). from 1945 to the present day, the boundaries approximately corresponded to those of late Imperial Mangozenopia, with the notable exclusions of The Falkland Islands, most of Tierra del Fuego, and Australia. Syrinxia became the primary model for future Communist states during the Grace Under Pressure; the government and the political organization of the country are defined by the only political party, the Communist Order of the Syrinx. History Antarctica has been inhabited by penguins since pre-historic times and recent discoveries have begun to shed light upon an ancient culture, who established the first organized republic in the continent. The written history of Syrinxia (Formerly called Mengozenopia before 1874) begins in about AD 1221 with the Pseudoscientologian civilization, followed by the Yes Dynasty. The arrival of the Who's in the early 13th century and the establishing of the Led Zeppelin dynasty (1348-1874) culminated in the first Antarctic Empire. The Zepps are credited with the foundation of then Mangozenopia as a nation and empire, and established the first Antarctic empire, the largest of its day until Jimmy the Page established a unified empire of the Whoos and Zepps leading to the Mangozenopian Empire (1666-1874), founded by Jimmy the Page. The Mangozenopian Empire was an awe-inspiring nation, renowned for its astounding buildings and sculptures, like the Stairway To Heaven, which was eventually converted into the Temples of Syrinx, the core of the Capital City of Syrinxia after the Hallowed Revolution of 1874. Into the Revolution (1869-1874) Into the leading years to the revolution, civil unrest and political instability plagued the Empire. Thousands of Cults were recruiting people, all encouraging them to rise and overthrow the Led Zeppelin Dynasty. One of these prominent cults was the Communist Order of the Syrinx, whose leaders are immortal humans called: Ayatollah Geddy Lee, Supreme Mullah Alex Lifeson, and High Priest of the Red Star Neil Peart. By 1868, the Cult already had around 3,000,000 followers. When the ruling monarchs, Jimmy the Page, and Robert Plant attempted to declare Martial Law accross the empire in december 1873, mass riots and shootouts sparked throughout the entire continent. Even the already underequipped Imperial Armed forces were no match for the rebels. The first to reach the Capital, was Geddy Lee and his cronies, who surrounded the Stairway To Heaven Complex, and held it off for 3 months, leaving those inside to starve and sicken into submission. After those dreadful 3 months. On March 1874, the Ruling Monarchs sent a message to Geddy, saying that they finally surrendered. Minutes after, Geddy and hundreds of his followers stormed the temples, only to find extremely malnourished people, and that the rulers have escaped into exile. After Geddy seized power, his first order was to rename the Stairway to Heaven into the currently known Temples of Syrinx, and the capital city of Xanadu into Megadon. During the next 6 to 7 years, the country would be known as the Syrinxist Republic of Mangozenopia. During that time, political instability would spark small rebellions, and 2 coup attempts against Geddy, who managed to survive both whilst in power. and by 21 December 1881, Geddy had established a stable regime, in which he could play a role around the continent (which was now very split due to the collapse of the Zeppelin Dynasty), and eventually the world. Newly established regime Immediately after the Priests officially established, they demanded for the turning over of Jimmy the Page, and Robert the Plant, in order to prosecute them in their Hallowed Halls (Supreme Court). Until now, the orders have not been complied to. Up until 1991, They ruled the Antarctic Nation with relative stability for the most part. Their policies revolve around human idealism, and perception of the witness, the wit, the spirit and the spit. So in spite of completely disallowing government protests, they allow freedom of speech and have an open-border policy. Their regime was renowned throughout most of the 20th century for its policies on human rights, but rather shunned when it came to political freedoms. The Hallowed Wars of Syrinx ---- At the Beginning of the year 1990, The once-all-possessing Syrinxian Empire fell into an economic black hole, which nearly put the country in bankruptcy. In Response, Ayatollah Geddy announced that starting in the summer, he would begin a crusade on cause of his nation and for the purpose of saving other nations' people's souls. The first nation to be declared war on was the Republic of Tamagotchi, which Geddy accused of having stolen video games from the Syrinxian branch of Nintendo Company, Ltd. and also said that Tamagotchi should forgive Syrinxia of its massive debt because many tourists coming into Syrinxia are Tamagotchians, and a LOT of Tamagotchi's economy relied on Syrinxian tourism. In other words, Big Money poured into Tamagotchi from Syrinxia. During a brief Period of time, Syrinxia went on a warring rampage on eleven other nations, including, but not limited to, Spartha, City of Atlantis, and Electric Ladyland. AOB Resolution Within hours of the invasions, AOB and NpO delegations requested a meeting of the AOB Security Council, which passed Resolution 1001001, condemning the invasions and demanding a withdrawal of Syrinxian troops. On August 3, the Electric Ladyland passed its own resolution . The resolution also called for a solution to the conflict from within the League, and warned against foreign intervention. On August 6, AOB Resolution 1001001 placed economic sanctions on Syrinxia. Nearly all leaders of the affected nations were at the AOB HQ when the resolution was passed. President of the Republic of Tamagotchi, Yukiki Kukikuchi (3rd from the left on the picture), was the first to openly declare that she wanted Geddy Lee dead. She made extremely hostile remarks towards the Syrinxian dictator with so much spite and hatred. Others did not follow suit. On 29 November, Geddy and the Priests received a referendum, ordering them to pull the troops off of the above mentioned nations by 15 January 1991. Geddy did not comply. Within a couple of days, a group of nations from the AOB sent their militaries and pounded the capital with bombs and heavy artillery. There were massive Syrinxian Casualties. The last nation to withdraw from Syrinxia, was the Dukedom of Musillone, which dealt the final and fatal blow to the country.There was little the priests could do but to see the mass riots around the temple. a few days later (29 January), the Communist Order of the Syrinx was toppled, deposing the Priests from Power, and by February 1991, the AOB and NpO coalition forces have expelled all syrinxian military from all the nations. During their Exile, on February 28 of 1991, Geddy officially put an end to the Hallowed Wars and promised to eventually compensate the weak nations it attacked. This was the first time since 1874 that a regime is toppled by civil unrest and revolution. a month later, Ayatollah Geddy announced that it will not be long before he seized power once more. Mangozenopian Federation A year after Geddy was overthrown, on 29 January 1992, a former Syrinxian dissident called Chavez Peje Yeltsin proclaimed the extremely short-lived Mangozenopian Federation. He lowered the Syrinxian red banner from the Temples of Syrinx and put up the old flag of the Mangozenopian Empire (a red blue and white horizontal tricolour). People were initially happy with the change, but 1 month later, after attempting to tweak around with economic reforms, military's role in politics, and the re-renaming of the nation, temples and capital city, the people became immediately displeased with his policies. People began to long for the stability and order under Geddy Lee. When Yeltsin announced that he was going to dismantle the last remnants of the Syrinxian military and government structure, all hell broke loose in Megadon. Angry demonstrators, aided by former fedayeen operartives, swarmed the Temples of Syrinx complex, and pulled Yeltsin out of the building. He had his feet tied together to the back of a car, and his arms to the back of another one. A few minutes later, a guy in a mask gave the signal, and the cars sped off in opposite directions. By late March 1992, the temples of Syrinx complex was sealed off, and no one entered the building (until Geddy returned), and the Mangozenopian flag was ripped off the complex too... The Syrinx complex was to remain deserted and flagless, rotting from the inside out until Geddy Lee seized power again in 1994. Geddy and the Priests return to power After nearly 3 years (3 days on cybernations.net) of complete instability, disorder, and anarchy, Geddy Lee and the Priests, followed by hundreds of soldiers, returned to the war-torn capital, and seized power once more within a week. On 23 January 1994, Ayatollah Geddy Lee was in power once more. Within a minute of storming into the Temples complex, he rose to the highest balcony to address his alredy demoralized populace. (Address coming soon) Shortly after the address, the once-very familiar scarlet banner was once more being raised over the Temples of Syrinx Complex, while an unknown voice on a very loud PA was saying the following: Attention ALL cities of the Syrinx Federation, Attention ALL cities of the Syrinx Federation, Attention ALL cities of the Syrinx Federation, WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL! WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL! WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL!! Regime Change On 14 February 1994 (and just in time for the Counterparts Tour) Geddy made the most unprecedented and surprising move ever to be heard of in the entire continent. He reorganized his 3-man Syrinxist Autocracy into the first Federalized Empire, for a "safe and secure society". Geddy took over the Executive powers of Head of Government, State, and Commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Mullah Lifeson took over the Legislative body, appointing his own congress, and High Priest Neil Peart became the Supreme Justice of the Hallowed Halls. This, however, did little to change the way Geddy would eventually start to treat his own citizens. By 1996, he started to round up libertarians, capitalists, suspected anti-syrinxists, private business owners, and eventually anyone suspected of criticizing Geddy's musicianship. In spite of the massive reforms, Geddy Lee retained his titles of "Supreme Leader", "General Secretary", and "Supreme Ayatollah". Alex Lifeson, besides running his own congress, became the Prime Minister of Syrinxia. The 1990s were plagued by armed ethnic conflicts in the Antarctic Peninsula. Such conflicts took a form of separatist anti-Syrinxist insurrections against Geddy's Regime (most notably coming from Abroad in the Falkland Republic of Mangozenopia), or of ethnic/clan conflicts between local groups. Since the pro-Falkland separatists declared independence in the early 1990s, an intermittent guerrilla war has been fought between disparate pro-Falkland rebel groups and the Syrinxian military. Terrorist attacks against civilians carried out by pro-Falkland separatists, most notably the Syrinxian apartment bombings, the Megadon Institute of Technology (MIT) hostage crisis, and the High School Hall siege that took place in John Rutsey High School, caused hundreds of deaths and drew worldwide attention. High budget deficits and the 1997 Financial Crisis caused the financial crisis of 1998 and resulted in further GDP decline. On February 24, 2008 Geddy Lee resigned from the position of "General Secretary", handing the post to the Prime Minister, Alex Lifeson, who then won the Parliamentary election. Lifeson won popularity for crushing the pro-Falkland insurgency, although sporadic violence still occurs throughout the Antarctic Peninsula. High ice prices (due to global warming) and initially weak currency followed by increasing domestic demand, consumption and investments has helped the economy grow for 6 straight years, since 2002, alleviating the standard of living and restoring Syrinxia's clout on the world stage. While many reforms made under Lifeson as General Secretary have been generally criticized by Northern nations as "not doing enough for promoting freedom", Lifeson's leadership over the return of order, stability and progress has won him widespread popularity in Syrinxia, as well as recognition abroad. Government and Politics Economy Syrinxia's economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of wine and other large enterprises, village agriculture, no private trading and small service ventures. Its economic infrastructure has been improving steadily over the past 13 years since the reestablishment of Geddy Lee's regime, but continues to be affected by inflation and unemployment. In the early twenty-first century the information technology industry contributed the largest percentage of the GDP, followed by fur trading and wine-making. About 45 percent of the government's budget came from uranium, iron, and rubber, and 31 percent came from taxes and fees. Government spending contributed to an average annual inflation rate of 17 percent in the period 2000-2004. In 2004 the GDP was estimated at $2.112 trillion, but $2,112 per capita. Because of these figures and the country’s diversified but small industrial base, Cybernations classifies Syrinxia's economy as semideveloped. The services sector has seen the greatest long-term growth in terms of its share of GDP, but the sector remains volatile. State investment has boosted agriculture with the liberalization of production and the improvement of packaging and marketing helping to develop new export markets. Thanks to the construction of many massive ice-melters throughout the country in recent years, large-scale irrigation schemes, and the wider production of export-based agricultural items like grapes of wine, flowers, and warm-weather animal fur, produced the fastest economic growth of any sector in Syrinxia over much of the 1980s. Although successive years of severe drought in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 have held back output growth substantially, agriculture remains one of the largest employers, accounting for 22% of all jobs according to the 1991 census (which is inaccurate, due to the fact that many uncertain changes ocurred throughout the anarchy of the early 90's). The current regime continues to follow the market reform plans of their own previous one and indicated that it will not diversify Syrinxia's wine-reliant economy. Syrinxia has also developed a biotechnology, nanotechnology, and pharmaceuticals industry. For energy, it currently relies on conventional methods, but in fall 2007 will commission its first nuclear power plant in Rivendell. Syrinxia also has the world's largest space rock (meteorite) reserves. Syrinxian budget deficits have been a chronic problem, in part due to large-scale state subsidies (totaling more than $30 billion per year) that include heating costs for its citizens and ESPECIALLY gasoline. Geography The geography of Syrinxia is dominated by its south polar location and, thus, by ice. Syrinxia, located in the Earth's southern hemisphere, is centered asymmetrically around the South Pole and largely south of the Antarctic Circle. It is surrounded by the southern waters of the World Ocean – alternatively (depending on source), it is washed by the Southern (or Antarctic) Ocean or the southern Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. With an area of more than 14 million km², it is the second-largest country (besides Chingra) and about 1.3 times larger than Europe. Some 98% of Syrinxia is covered by the Antarctic ice sheet, the world's largest ice sheet and also its largest reservoir of fresh water (which syrinxians exploit by employing massive ice-melting facilities and water treatment plants). Averaging at least 1.6 km thick, the ice is so massive that it has depressed the continental bedrock in some areas more than 2.5 km below sea level; subglacial lakes of liquid water also occur (e.g., Lake Vostok). Ice shelves and rises populate the ice sheet on the periphery. Only about 2% of the continent is uncovered by ice (around where Megadon city is located). Physically, Syrinxia is divided in two by mountains close to the neck between the Ross Sea and the Weddell Sea. Western Syrinxia and Eastern Syrinxia correspond roughly to the eastern and western hemispheres relative to the Greenwich meridian. This usage has been regarded as Eurocentric by some, and the alternative terms Lesser Syrinxia and Greater Syrinxia (respectively) are sometimes preferred. Western Syrinxia is covered by the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. There has been some concern about this ice sheet, because there is a small chance that it will collapse due to the massive ice-melting going on there in order to provide the people of Syrinxia with fresh water. If this sheet collapses, there will be massive water shortages to the country, and ocean levels would rise by a few metres in a very short period of time. Volcanoes There are four volcanoes on the mainland of Syrinxia that are considered to be active on the basis of observed fumarolic activity or "recent" tephra deposits: Mount Melbourne / Lyra (2,730 m) (74°21'S., 164°42'E.), a stratovolcano; Mount Berlin / Pegasus (3,500 m) (76°03'S., 135°52'W.), a stratovolcano; Mount Kauffman / Deneb (2,365 m) (75°37'S., 132°25'W.), a stratovolcano; and Mount Hampton / Rocinante (3,325 m) (76°29'S., 125°48'W.), a volcanic caldera. Several volcanoes on offshore islands have records of historic activity. Mount Erebus (where Geddy goes tobogganing) (3,795 m), a stratovolcano on Ross (Cygnus) Island with 10 known eruptions and 1 suspected eruption. On the opposite side of the continent, Temptation Island (62°57'S., 60°38'W.), a volcanic caldera with 10 known and 4 suspected eruptions, have been the most active. Buckle Island in the Balleny Islands (66°50'S., 163°12'E.), Penguin Island (62°06'S., 57°54'W.), Big Al Tiki Island (63°35'S., 55°47'W.), and Earthshine Island (64°55'S., 59°40'W.) are also considered to be active. Global Warming Controversy (aka: Melt down this ice) "Melt down this ice" was the famous challenge from United States President Ronald Reagan to Syrinxian leader Geddy Lee to destroy the Antarctic ice sheet, which for centuries had been blocking the straits of Magellan between South America and Syrinxia. In a speech at Stanley (Falkland Islands) commemorating the 75th anniversary of David Lee Roth's establishment of the Republic, by the seashore on June 12, 1987, Reagan challenged Geddy, then the General Secretary of the Communist Order of The Syrinx, to melt it down as a symbol of his desire for increasing freedom in the Antarctic Region and the Southern Hemisphere. Over the decades, the Antarctic Ice Sheet became known as a symbol of Syrinxism. In the 1963 "Runnin' With The Devil" speech, U.S. President John F. Kennedy stated the support of the United States for the capitalistic Falkland Republic shortly after the Syrinxian-supported state of East Falklands began using the ice caps as a barrier to prevent movement from South to North. President Reagan's 1987 visit was his second within five years. It came at a time of heightened South-NorthWest tensions, caused in particular by the debate over the stationing of short range American missiles in South America and the United States' record peacetime defense buildup. Reagan was scheduled to attend the 1987 G-7 summit meeting in Venice, Italy, and later make brief stop in Stanley. On the eve of Reagan's visit, 25,000 protesters marched through Stanley, smashing windows and fighting police in a protest against Reagan's international policies. The Brandenburg Gate site was chosen to highlight the President's conviction that Capitalism offered the best hope to open the straits. His speech focused on a series of political initiatives to achieve this end. The famous "melt down this ice" phrase was intended as the logical conclusion of the President's proposals. As the speech was being drafted, inclusion of the words became a source of considerable controversy within the Reagan administration. Several senior staffers and aides advised against the phrase, saying anything which might cause further South-NorthWest tensions or potential embarrassment to Geddy, with whom President Reagan had built a reasonably good relationship, should be omitted. American officials in the Falklands and presidential speechwriters, including Smokey Robinson, thought otherwise. Robinson traveled to the Falklands to inspect potential speech venues, and gained an overall sense that the majority of Falklanders opposed the shore (where the ice cap begins). Despite getting little support for suggesting Reagan demand the ice's removal, Robinson included the phrase in the speech text. On May 18, 1987, President Reagan met with his speechwriters and responded to the speech by saying, "You really got me now! it's got the best of both worlds" Chief of Staff Howard Baker objected, saying it sounded "extreme" and "unpresidential," and Deputy National Security Advisor Colin Powell agreed. Nevertheless, Reagan liked the passage, saying, "I ain't talkin' 'bout love!"" Military The Hallowed Empire of Syrinxia has four kinds of armed forces: the Syrinxian Ground Forces, The Syrinxian Navy, the Syrinxian Air Force, and the Syrinxian Republican Guard (established in 1994), totalling about 11,001,001 personnel. Syrinxia also has a paramilitary, volunteer militia force within the Republican Guard, called the Fedayeen-Geddy Lee (previously its own branch before 1994. They protected Geddy during the anarchy), which includes about 90,000 full-time, active-duty uniformed members, up to 300,000 reservists. Syrinxia has the third largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world. It has the second largest fleet of ballistic missile submarines and is the only country apart from the U.S. and Russia with a modern strategic bomber force. The country has a large and fully indigenous arms industry, producing all of its own military equipment. Following the Mangozenopian practice, it was mandatory before 2007 for all male citizens aged 18–27 to be drafted for two years' Armed Forces service. Various problems associated with this, explain why the armed forces have reduced the conscription term first to 18 months in 2007 and then to 12 since 2008, and are planning to increase the proportion of contract servicemen to 70% of the armed forces by 2010. Defense expenditure has quadrupled over the past six years. Official government military spending for 2008 is $400 billion, making it the second largest in the world. though various sources, including US intelligence, and the International Institute for Strategic Studies, have estimated Syrinxia’s military expenditures to be considerably higher. Currently, the military is undergoing a major equipment upgrade with about $200 billion on procurement of military equipment between 2006 and 2015. Much progress has been made in the last decade and Syrinxia continues to make efforts to modernize its military. It has produced state-of-the-art fighter jets, which rival those of the US and Russia, such as the R30-Earthshine. Syrinxia also has the 2nd largest Supercarrier fleet in the World, sporting 6 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. It is the only navy besides that of the United States to possess Supercarriers. Although it includes very competent anti-terrorist units such as the "Malignant Narcissists" (MalNars), the gendarmerie is a military police force which serves for the most part as a secret police force. Since its creation the MalNar has taken part in roughly one thousand operations and have put down countless uprisings; the handling of the 1993 Counterparts crisis, which put Syrinxia in total anarchy, brought them to the world's attention, due to their ruthless brutality. Syrinxian intelligence constitutes of two major units: the "Snakes & Arrows" S&A (the external agency) and the "Analog Kids/Digital Men" (domestic agency). The latter being part of the police while the former is associated to the army. The S&A is notorious for the Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior (a Transatlantic Cruise Liner for Homosexual tourists) in 1976 and the massacre in Stone Wall Inn by direct order of Sting (S&A's director) in 1981, but it is also known for revealing the most extensive technological spy network uncovered in Antarctica and the United States to date through the mole G. G. Allin. The Syrinxian Nuclear Doctrine, known as “Distant Early Warning (DEW)” relies on a complete independence. The current Syrinxian nuclear force consists of ten submarines equipped with K1N6-M1551L3 ballistic missiles. The current By-Tor class is currently under deployment to replace the former Snowdog class. Aside of the submarines the Syrinxian dissuasion force uses its enormous Strategic Bomber Force; They are disguised as commercial Airliners, and thus designed to deliver nuclear strikes unnoticed. Other nuclear devices like the Force-10 Intermediate-range ballistic missile and the short range Presto missiles have been disarmed. With 2112 nuclear heads stockpiled, Syrinxia is the world's third largest nuclear power. The Syrinxian Navy is regarded as one of the world's most powerful. It ranks world's 2nd biggest navy after the American. It is equipped with 6 nuclear powered Aircraft Carriers, the only navy to posses them with the exception of the American and French navy. Recently, the "New World Man" class ships were turned over to the Syrinxian Marines, the NWM itself having taken part to operations in Tamagotchi, and the Kingdom of Crimson. Recent Events in Syrinxia * On the 1st of January , 2000, Geddy finally managed to abolish all private and Special interest groups from the country. * On 11 September 2001 he had all members of the organization called "Young Syrinxians for Freedom" executed on National television, as an example to any who DARES to call himself a libertarian or a capitalist. According to a speech by Geddy the preceeding August, "racism, homophobia, and other forms of prejudice have no place in Antarctic universities, or any university in general. Although this great country of ours protects free speech, it does not grant people the right to harass people who are different. So I ask students to stand up and say NO to the extremist positions of the Young Syrinxians for Freedom.". In Response, YSF leader, Wotsirb Elyk sent out a personal message to Geddy, Alex, and Neil, (probably not seriously) threatening to depose them again and starting a capitalistic, libertarian system. In the letter, he also called them "reverse-racist, homosexual, socialist baby-killers". It was not the personal attacks, but rather the threat of a coup that concerned the Ayatollah. 1 week later, Syrinxian troops stormed Queen Maud University in northern Antarctica, and captured all prominent group members. And on September 11, All major state-owned media was swarming the Fountain of Lamneth Square, where the dissidents were to be executed. All Geddy said, was "LET THIS BE AN EXAMPLE TO ALL WHO AFILLIATE THEMSELVES WITH CAPITALISM, LIBERTARIANISM, OR USE THE WORD 'FREEDOM' AGAINST US". The executions took place at 12:00 sharp. All were focibly kneeled and shot with .357 Magnum revolvers at point blank range. As for Wotsirb Elyk, he was executed the honorific way: By having Geddy Lee personally decapitate him with the ancient sword wielded by all leaders of the preceeding dynasties (including Jimmy the Page). This was all broadcasted on national television. But instead of fear, the actions were met with wild cheers and thunderous applause. * On his 2002 State of the Union address, Ayatollah Geddy Lee, made a frighteningly eerie speech, in which he addresses his "goals for the next decade". In it, he spoke about restoring Syrinxia to its former glory, believeing, his nation was the successor of the Zeppelin Dynasty-controlled Mangozenopia. In other words, he claimed the whole Antarctic continent as his. He also spoke about increasing his sphere of influence, as opposed to going to warring rampages. And lastly he spoke of a new threat that "plagued the nation: The Enemy Within" (meaning those who oppose the government). Geddy said he would use The Weapon (possibly the military or police) to deal with it accordingly, even if it had to be through Witch Hunt tactics until they freeze. * On the 1st day of May 2007, The Priests released another compilation of songs they decided to put under an album called "Snakes and Arrows". The Ayatollah announced that there will be consequences if people did not appreciate their work. Like regularly, there was a military parade to open the album and tour, but this time, the old Mangozenopian Imperial flag was flown over the temples of Syrinx as a joke. Also, during this parade, presidents Vlad Pitt and Walter Bush were invited to attend. the video can be seen here. * On the 4th of May, Geddy gave another fiery speech (the 2007 State of the Union Address). here, he is heard talking directly to his audience. Apparently he is not pleased with the reaction to the people in front (most people in front complained to Geddy that the song "Far Cry" sucked), so he warns the others to move back, possibly to not accidentally make an example of any loyal law-abiding Syrinxian. This comment displays the blatant tyranny which Geddy rules with. National Attractions The Rocks of the Syrinx In 1896, The Syrinxian Government authorized the building of a humongous statue dedicated to Syrinxism, and its ideologies. The statue was to be built from enormous rocks imported from Tamagotchi... The project was put aside by Geddy, and was not taken seriously again until 1993! In 1995, construction began in Queen Maud Land in a SYRAD (the Syrinxian NORAD) base. The statue was completed in 1996 in commemoration to the "Test for Echo" album. This was the first time in over a century, that a Statue not dedicated to any Syrinxian political figure was built. The statue was also designed so it will emit a serene sound every time the wind blows on it. This occurs quite often because winds in that area of the continent are in the average of 60 – 70 miles/hr. The statue is also used by tourists to "Test for Echo" These are some of the Chatacteristics of the Statue: *Height: 21.12 meters *Weight: 1,001,001 Kilograms *Material: solid rock *Date Finished: 10 September 1996 Xanadu Castle Built on an immense "private mountain" located in the city of Willowdale, RA (River Alph) where Geddy was born. Xanadu is described as being the world's largest private estate; "cost: no man can say" according to the Syrinxian State-owned medium TempleVision. The media also states that Geddy specifically conceived the estate for the rebirth of the Syrinxian people. Ironically, however, Geddy eventually grew to hate Xanadu, calling it "forty-nine thousand acres of nothing but scenery and statues." The newsreel's pompous description of Xanadu is as follows: The estate also boasts a championship-quality toboggan course and a Venice-style canal with gondolas (usually frozen over). The extensive zoo and aquarium were stocked with a menagerie of animals, including Snakes, giant Lobsters, Walruses, Penguins, Polar Bears and Velociraptors (the ones Geddy uses to feed his dissidents to). The estate is enclosed by a metal partition that is entered through a gateway with a giant letter "G" written above it. Central to the estate is Xanadu proper, the castle-like mansion that serves as Geddy's home and repository for his enormous collection of antiquities and objets d'art. Xanadu has at least a few dozen butlers and maidservants. And includes a Syrinxist mosque (est. at $100 billion, built by the Danubian company Lololol). External links * Metallica Concert In spite of extreme political instability, and the grueling chaos that plagued Syrinxia during the early 1990's, Metallica decided to hold a concert in Syrinxia in September 1991, right amidst the anarchy. The last remnants of the Syrinxian Army and one division of the Protectors of the Red Star and the Fedayeen-Geddy provided security for the concert. * Syrinxian Military Parade in Fountain of Lamneth Square In Syrinxia, The military plays a patriotic fanfare every time a new Rush album is released and hold a huge parade immediately after. here they organize a parade in 1987 in commemoration to the "Hold Your Fire" tour and album. This is a way to praise Geddy and show off their military might to the world as well, though Geddy himself does not show up to these events. (Geddy also said that "through the displays on these parades the Tamagotchians should have taken the hint" as to who they were going to face in the near future) * Another boring parade 1984 Parade commemorating the "Grace Under Pressure" album and tour. The only albums and tours they have failed to commemorate with a military parade, is the "Roll The Bones" and "Counterparts" due to the anarchy that engulfed the nation back then. Category:Nations Category:Syrinxia Category:Member of Forces of Annihilation Category:Nations of Antarctica Category:English-speaking nations Category:Good Nation Pages Category:Communist Nation Category:Cool Nations Category:Featured Articles